New grad asked to resign during orientation need advice

Nurses General Nursing

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SO I am pretty new to this but here is what's going on...I basically had a hard time finding a job since graduating in May 2010...I was working as a unit clerk in a community hospital and finally decided to apply there since I had no job offers from other hospitals my gut always told me not too but I felt pressured from my family to just get a job. I began orientation in August, I was hired for a telemetry floor but since my floor was getting renovated I was placed on an orthopedic floor where I was for a month then after me complaining because it's nothing like a tele floor they put me on a telemetry floor for my first 12 hour shift what a difference...so anyway once I got to my unit I felt so upset all the time had a hard time adjusting and just felt plain stupid...I guess it is normal to feel this way when your new but at the moment I felt alone...I had a total of 8 weeks orientation and I feel like I had an unfair orientation, so on my last week of orientation I received a call from HR where I was asked to meet with the educator head, my unit manager, and the nurse recruiter, I was so nervous I tried my best to hold back tears and this is when I was given an ultimatum I was told they can only give me 1 more week (3days of 12hr) orientation and prove to them I can take a load of 7 to 8 patients (because I get very overwhelmed after 5 patients) and they even said they don't think it will make a difference or I can resign or I run the risk of getting fired. I ended up resigning because I was scared to get fired and I also forgot to mention I was offered a job in the wound care center of my hospital per diem prior to all this and when I called them to tell them my decision I let the recruiter know if I could take the position she told me initially yes and then said she had to call me back which she never did. I finally called the lady in charge of the wound care and she told me they (HR) told her not to hire me :( I called the recruiter and she told me something completely different I was mad because I feel like all this was done on purpose so now I'm basically left with no job after 8 weeks of orientation and I don't know what to do...I feel more hurt because I was told they were willing to invest time in me yet they never cared to address my concerns..I cant beleive I worked in this place since 2008 for something like this happen to me...I would appreciate any advice on this I really have lost all hope and this really makes me feel like a complete failure, I can't stop crying and simply am a wreck...:crying2:

So if you reread my post on pg 3 you'll see I was just throwing an idea out. I don't believe anyone else said this. I think it's premature to say 'oh what a toxic unit, those mean nurses eating their young'..... how can we know how this unit really was like.

Always ask staffing ratios at your interview and expectations for orientation process. A new grad wouldn't necessarily know to do this but if the OP had than she could have turned down this job with horrific ratios.

And I'm just saying not everyone is cut out for acute care, it's not a crime and I didn't say that specifically about the OP. Thank you.

A few pp have implied that the OP (or a nurse in a similar situation, and we all know that she is far from alone) is somehow to blame for not making it in such an unsupportive environment with impossibly high ratios. New grads nowadays may jump at any opportunity just to get a job and would find it hard to justify turning down any opportunity offered (and of course it's often the worst units that hire new grads because no experienced nurses would take these jobs).

Yes, some people are not cut out for acute care (or decline to work under those conditions), but one bad job shouldn't convince anyone not to give it another try.

DeLana

Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
I will be honest. I worked at a local hospital way back in 1993 when I graduated. They were brave enough to hire me with my IP. I was taken in, given full time day shift on the unit NOBODY wanted to work. COPD/AIDS unit. It was hard, everything was a train-wreck and I swear, we go the poorest, most none compliant indigent people the city could offer. It's just the kind of clients and patients we serviced.

My days were 12 hours, and I was always given 4 patients to start and usually an admission during the shift. I NEVER was given a CNA. The ONLY RN who got that luxury was the same ones. Yet, I was the new grad. Majority of my patients could not get up on thier own, had mental issues, wore restraints, or were very very sick AIDS patients. The worst ever.

One shift I had given 28 medications ivp, ivpb on my 4 patients. Is that looney? yes. I literally was using a linen cart to hold the meds as I did my 1600 rounds. I was written up because I forgot to sign off a IVPB but positive it was given. I was reprimanded by my nurse manager, and I can tell you my patients were the sickest highest acuity on the floor. Unlike the COPDS who were walky talkies given to the same RN's who had the CNAs. I was doomed. I was thinking "TIME TO GO BACK TO RESTAURANT I HATE NURSING". I had 30 days of training and then pushed out on my own!! I was a NEW RN!! On a very hard unit.

I should say that I was written up as well for not changing the linen on a bed I spilled rifampin on. I spilled a nice orange circle on the patients bottom bed sheet. This young man was actively dying from AIDS. Was on a 100% non rebreather and had horrific moments of dyspnea and desat ( low 02 numbers ) and went cyanotic when I turned him. I did not change the bottom sheet. I instead neatly tucked a fabric pad , the kind we use to move patients with under this man who was actively dying. THE NIGHT SHIFT FELT IT WAS NECESSARY TO WRITE ME UP. Welcome to the cut throat world of the new grad. They felt I was "lazy" and left the mess for them. How about the patient was dying, leave the drawsheet alone. Does it matter there is a stain on the sheet? To them it was worth an incident report.

I was blessed.. I was hired at a posh hospital in a fancier side of town and they had an IV team. I use to draw blood, start iv's and do all the central line care on those AIDS patients. This was heaven.

I gave notice at my hospital. My manager was not thrilled with me. About a week into my notice I was called in her office mid shift. Night shift found a d5ns vs. a d5.45ns hanging on one of my patients. yes a med error. I was asked to resign, hey, I don't mind, I am leaving this heep. I didn't cry. I though happy thoughts and enjoyed the week off.... before I started my new job.

Saying this. I learned some hospitals hire new grads and put them on units nobody else wants to work give them shift nobody else will take, and in some cases do not provide the training or positive environment needed to nurture the new RN.

I left the hole and fell into a hospital that never had issues with me, never had the same "safety concerns" that the hole did and fostered learning and support. I lasted there over 5 years.. odd how I flourished here and not there.

a hospitals are not all the same. Dont' feel bad. I was ready to leave nursing after being asked to "leave". Imagine that?

I had a pt the other day that had 22 just at the 10 am pass!

Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

Is this a straight tele floor or a med/surg tele floor where you have people on tele because the dr likes to look at squiggly lines?

If this is a straight tele floor, you are lucky, darn lucky to be out of there. That many patients is unreal and totally unsafe if it's just you and maybe a shared CNA. That ratio wouldn't be bad if you have an LPN with you to help out. I doubt that is the case though. Wow, that is just nutty.

Good luck in your journey and be thankful you left with your license.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

In general, I agree with DookieMeister. Yes, you have to ask the right questions, and not every environment that a new grad is in is necessarily a toxic environment. But, the answers you get, even if you do ask, aren't always the real answers.

What I've learned by asking all the right questions during my interview:

If you're told the ratio is 1:4, count on 4 being the minimum, and you're almost certain to get more.

If you're told you'll have more than one preceptor because it "works better that way," count on getting a different preceptor every day, many of whom don't want you. It works better that way for the manager, not anyone else.

If you're told you'll be with nurses with 20+ years of experience, you might get stuck a lot of the time with the experienced preceptor that the other experienced nurses are afraid of. They aren't intimidated by her; on the contrary, they fear for her patients....

As you can imagine, this is personal experience. I do have to add that I'm now with a wonderful preceptor of 20+ years of experience who actually enjoys teaching and is good at it, plus she's not dangerous. ;) I really wanted to rip up my license and go back to a cubicle until I got her permanently. I'm glad I stuck it out, though. :nurse:

Be very careful when accepting a new job and trust your gut. It will tell you more than anyone or anything else will. If it doesn't feel right, it isn't right. Period.

xtxrn- Whoever said I wanted unemployment? I resigned already and never thought once about unemployment but I understand why you would ask thanks for your reply and some of you ppl are telling me not to complain how is voicing ones concerns become complaining? If you all read I stated I worked in this hospital as a unit secretary for like 3 years then decided to attempt to start there because I had no other options at the time. If you ppl are gonna make rude remarks please dont bother replying to my post...and thank you to all who are being supportive and understanding I hope to move on from this horrible experience...everthing happens for a reason and I for one was not willing to risk my license to take care of 7-8 telemetry real tele patients...spoke to my old coworkers from my old unit and they were all ****** this happened to me I'm finally realizing it wasnt me...again thanks most of you for your honesty and amazing advice...will keep u updated on my nursing journey :) all positive thoughts thanks to u guys :)

Best of luck to you, Roxy, you will find something much better.

DeLana :)

Im currently in my 8th week of oreintation in a pul step-down unit and my manager told me today that my preceptors(all 7 of them) have not given be the best reviews and that she has not seen much improvent and that unless i prove to them in the last 3/4 weeks that i have that i can work on the unit, i will have to leave. *sigh. i feel like im losing this battle every week. While their preceptorship program is not the best, i din blame it. I took full responsibilty for my performance and promised myself that i wld do my homework n be better each day. Heck, i even dug out my old nursing scool notes to refresh everything.

I was told that during oreintation that i wld be pushed hard but i don understand how a new grad like me can learn to draw labs, review results, communicate with the NPs, MDs about a pt's plan of care, know when the med students round, know when to let the unit secretary to schedule xrays, know how to realise when orders have been changed on the computer in 8 weeks. I NEVER learnt any of them in nsg school, maybe i drew labs once but that was a few years ago and at that time my main concern was getting the technique right.

In school i always heard bout how "nurses eat their young", now that im in the real world as a new grad, i realise that they rip us apart. Some say not everyone is cut out to be in critical care, i say if you love it and enjoy working it regardless of how stressful it can get, then you are cut out to be in critical care. Yes, I might take a bit more time than others (i wonder if the other new grads on my unit are in similar position), but i feel like im getting there. Too bad for me, my preceptors...whom I thought were going to support me instead of burn me...don think so. Worse, they reported to my manager without telling me 1st. Ughhhhh. Hope you other new grads do not get anything 1/2 as bad as we are getting.

Specializes in Step Down.

I recently went through a similiar experience except it was with a different aspect of nursing, basically I was blindsided by my manager telling me I could no longer be in the ED. I felt very violated and took it a step further. I met with the director and explained my situation about my orientation. My end result was a offer to a full-time position to another campus that I start in 2 weeks. I would recommend that if you feel that you weren't given a fair chance and there is no consisent documentation, meet with someone higher and explain your situation. Otherwise suck it up and move on

Specializes in Med/Surg Tele; LTC; Corrections.

I know I'm kinda on the tail end of this thread but, I wanted to let the OP know, that things will get better, we often times as people tend to beat ourselves up when things don't work out as you had hoped whether on the job or in life in general as someone else stated you just have to take that experience and learn from it.. when I started at my first med/surg job I was quite nervous, although I wasn't a new nurse I was new to that area of nursing. I had 3 days of orientation and it was suppose to be 2 weeks, needless to say when I came that 4th night. I was "baptized", onto the busiest Tele floor in the whole hospital.. my heart was racing, my nerves was on edge, I could have just died. But I got my composure, and made a decision, either sink or swim...and I swam, but boy was I scared. Did I felt like I didn't know what I was doing yes, did I ask a lot of questions on the things I didn't know which Im sure I annoyed the hell out of the nurse that I was working with, but at that point I really didn't care. Failure was definitely NOT an option. I just told my self no matter what I was gonna make it through the shift....and I did and eventually, I got a routine going and felt better about the whole process...I'm saying this too say it will get better....just hang in there you will find the place that's the right fit for you, and all of this would be a memory.

P.S. You know what's funny...the morning after I was thrown into the fire the supervisor asks me did I want more orientation!! For what? I thought I had 6 patients and survive what's the worse that could happen? Right?......lol well let's just save that for another topic of discussion.Lol!!

Specializes in Med/Surg Tele; LTC; Corrections.

Also, you might want to try working nights just so you can get your confidence/skills up....Nights tend to be a slower although, its not like that always, but you tend to have more time to learn things, or your receptors would be more inclined to teach you things. I recommend nights for all new grads. Well at least I can say its helped me tremendously. Good Luck too you!

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